Radical | A stranger things story

1: The Son

I pop up on the board feeling the water hit my feet, the leash wrapped around my ankle to keep the board and me from separating. My feet planted because of the wax beneath me. As the wave takes me, I bend my knees and keep my arms loose. I smile and close my eyes for a quick moment feeling the air surrounding me and my wet hair against my cheek. The California coast. I fall off the board and swim back up to the surface. I grab my board and walk back onto the warm sand. I look over to my left to see my dad. He is smiling and in his wet suit.

"You've gotten so much better!" he cheers. "I'm so proud-"

"Y/N, have you cleaned your room yet?" my mother shouts from the bottom of the stairs.

I sigh. I sit up on my bed and put my head in my hands. Hawkins has got to be the most boring little town I've ever lived in. When I first moved here, I was excited. I thought there might actually be something here to look forward to. I was wrong. If there was one thing that I miss from California it's surfing. It was one of my escapes from this uneventful place.

"Yes, I have," I answer.

I hear her footsteps coming up the stairs. Here we go.

The door bursts open and my mother wastes no time walking in. She looks around and sees my leather jacket on my desk chair. She grabs it and hangs it in the closet.

"You didn't have to do that, school starts tomorrow and that's probably the jacket I'm going to wear," I say.

She gives me a sideways look and points to the jacket.

"This is what you are wearing? Why must you always have to wear black? Add some color into your life or something," She says.

"I have color in my life, mother," I fire back. "I haven't fully decided what I was going to wear yet, but it's more than likely going to be in the outfit. Can't you just drop it?"

She lets go of the jacket and walks toward the door.

"You know, it's been a year since we've moved here. You'd think you'd get over California already," she snaps.

"What does any of this have to do with California?" I question. "This has nothing to do with it. This attitude of mine has to do with the fact that you weren't here yesterday. But hey, that's normal, isn't it? You know, it's been a year since we moved here. You'd think you'd change and stop leaving us for long periods."

"Listen here you little shit, where and when I go is none of your business," she snaps.

"Oh, but it is because I'm the one who has to take care of my little brother."

She scoffs and slams my door shut. I roll my eyes and grab my Walkman. I catch a glimpse of the time and realize it's 9:13 PM. I lay back down on my bed and play 'Fade to Black' by Metallica. I stare at the ceiling, lip-syncing the words. I feel frustration build up inside of me and decide to take a breather outside. I get up and open my window. I slowly climb out of it and sit on the roof.

I look at the house that was recently up for sale. It was bought a week or so ago. It seemed as if the new people already moved in and unpacked. I see a shadow out of the window and see two people in it. I watch curiously and it doesn't take me long to realize that they are arguing. I slip off my headphones and hear yelling. I've heard the same yelling twice this week. I see one of the shadows slap the other.

I laugh and pick a side of who is going to win. The yelling escalates and then one of the guys walks out of the room. I can't make out much of the yelling but I hear one of the voices say, "don't you dare walk out on me!"

Their front door opens and my heart stops for a moment. I realize that it is a high school student probably no older than me. The other man walks out after him and I finally see that it's his dad. Guilt consumes me now that I see that it was just an abusive dad and his son. The son gets into his 1979 Camero and starts it up. The dad bangs on the window and the son pulls out of their driveway. 

I couldn't really see the son's or the father's face but the son drove off fast. The father turns around and aggressively walks into his house and slams the door. I climb back into my room quickly and grab my skateboard. I slowly open the door to my room and peek downstairs to see where my mom is. I see that my mother is sleeping on the couch. Typical for her.

I put on my Nike High Tops and walk slowly creep down the stairs with my skateboard. I open the front door.

"Where are you going?" I hear a small voice behind me whisper.

I jump and turn around to see my little brother Mateo. I quickly look towards my mom to see her still asleep.

"It's okay Mateo I'm just going to go skate for a while," I whisper.

"Oh, okay. Goodnight then," he says, sleepily.

"Goodnight."

I watch as he goes back upstairs and enters his room. I smile to myself and then walk out. I throw down my skateboard and hop on. I put back on my headphones and play Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper.  

I peacefully skate down the road. I can't help but think about the poor boy and his horrible father. Of course, I don't know the situation but no father should ever hit their children. 

I think about the boy trying to figure out what he looks like. He had a mullet and wore a jean jacket. I end up getting lost in my thoughts and realize I have skated four blocks away from home. I look down at my wrist to check the time and realize I forgot my watch. I sigh and turn my board around and begin skating back home.

Now, down the street and I can see my home. As I'm going up the road I find myself having to push my skateboard a bit more since the road is more uphill. I hear a familiar engine turn the corner. The boy.

I skate up the street faster. I make it to the front of my home and turn to look at the car. I lock eyes with the boy and he smirks before passing me and turning into his driveway. I open the front door and see my mom is still sleeping. I step inside and turn around to close the door. I look at the boy sneaking inside his house before fully closing the door.

I walk quickly but quietly to my room and shut the door. I change into my PJs and lay down, quickly falling asleep.